


Sunshine and Rainbows

by DJRezYourGays



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Chloe Deserved Better 2kForever, F/F, Fuck the Bay Save the Bae
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-02-03 15:22:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12750975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DJRezYourGays/pseuds/DJRezYourGays
Summary: On the road together, Chloe and Max stop for gas, giving Chloe a moment alone to think on the many ways their lives could have gone.  It all seems to come down to chance.MicroWriMo 2017Prompt: Jubilant





	Sunshine and Rainbows

The rusty pickup rattled to a stop at the old gas station on the road to Santa Rosa. Max grabbed her camera off the dashboard while Chloe bundled up the pile of snack wrappers from the seat between them to make room for the next batch. The early evening light cut through the trees all around the quiet stretch of road and Max was quick to snap up several shots of the scenery as Chloe chuckled to herself, watching the girl go.

Max rarely looked more in her element than when she had that camera in her hands.  She could make a shot out of just about anything.  The back window of the pickup already had little polaroids tucked into every corner, most of them of Chloe making faces at Max, but there was the occasional gem she'd captured when Chloe wasn't looking.

The 'clunk' of the gas pump jarred Chloe out of her happy haze.  She coaxed just a bit more out of the line, hearing the telltale snap and whirr of the camera between the pump's repeated objections.  Max's smile greeted her as she put the pump back, proudly shaking out the polaroid and holding it up to the light to inspect her work.  "Magnifique," she teased, in the most dramatic accent she could conjure.

"Loser," Chloe teased back, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks.  Max just laughed and headed inside, practically skipping as she went.  The first few hundred miles out of Arcadia had been a quiet affair, just the two of them riding along with their own thoughts, holding hands on the seat in between.  Every so often they'd meet each other's eyes and smile, and know.

Seeing Max bursting with energy again, it felt like coming back to life.  Chloe laughed at herself, following the girl inside and fishing out their remaining trip cash to see what they could spare.

"I gotta pee," Max whispered, giving Chloe a quick peck on the cheek before dashing off to the restroom.

"Gross," Chloe said, touching her cheek idly as she headed for the counter to pay for the gas, grabbing a few snacks for the trip along the way.  As the cashier rung up the order, Chloe couldn't help but notice the shiny little scratch-off lotto tickets on a stand next to the register.  "And one of these," she added, tossing it on the pile.  What the hell, right?  It couldn't hurt. 

Who knows?  Maybe they'd strike it rich.  They could roll into Santa Rosa like royalty, buy up the biggest house in town, get drunk on wine like all the other fancy-ass people.  It could be great.

Chloe sat with the car door open waiting for Max to get done in the restroom.  She scratched off the first two circles, staring at a pair of faded cartoon cherries under the glittery mess.  What she wouldn't give for Max's rewind powers now.  A whole grid of possible choices remained, and Chloe found herself paralyzed with indecision.  

Striking it rich in the gas station lotto had been a stupid joke at herself a moment ago, but now she was obsessed with the idea.  The things they could do with all that money.  If only they hadn't paid off Frank.  She thought about all the expensive camera shit Max could get with that kind of cash.  All the film it would pay for.  All the memories, all the moments they could capture, together.  

"They didn't have any Funyuns so I grabbed some Sun Chips," Max explained, making a face as she climbed into the passenger's seat.  Chloe hurriedly shoved the lotto ticket into her pocket and started the car, never more grateful that Max had missed a photo opportunity than she was just then.  

"You're with me now, Super Max," Chloe said, "get used to second best."

"Don't say that."

The sudden shift in Max's voice caught Chloe's attention instantly.  Slightly more intense was the look the girl was giving her from the other seat.  It was the same worry Chloe often felt deep down just about any time Max was out of her sight.  She reached for Max's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, returning her eyes to the road.  She heard the light 'click' as Max undid her seatbelt, sliding across the seat between them and resting her head on Chloe's shoulder.  It was all Chloe could do to focus on driving as her heart ricocheted around inside her chest like a bouncy ball on speed.  Luckily there wasn't anyone else on the road.

When the heat rising to her cheeks threatened to make her lightheaded, Chloe cleared her throat.  "It's too bad you lost your rewind power," she said.  "I was just thinking we could've used it to make some money fast."

"Is that what this is?"  Max reached over to pluck the crumpled lotto ticket from Chloe's pocket where she'd hastily crammed it earlier.

With one hand in hers and the other on the wheel, Chloe was powerless to stop her. "Hey!"

"Gas station lotto?" Max asked, raising an eyebrow.  "Really?"

"Why not?" Chloe shrugged.  "We could use the cash.  I don't even know where we're gonna stay."

"We'll figure it out," Max said, giving her hand a light squeeze and resting her head on Chloe's shoulder again, holding the lotto ticket up to the light.  She rested it on her leg and fetched her keys to scratch off the third and final circle, picking one at random from the field of possibilities.  Chloe stole a glance at the ticket but couldn't make out what the last symbol was - only that it wasn't a cherry. 

Max started to laugh, and the sound quickly grew to drown out the indie station crackling on the radio.  "What?" Chloe asked.  "What is it?"

Max held up the ticket so she could see.  There in the last circle Max had scratched off, a tiny cartoon butterfly spread its wings.  Still chuckling, Max held the ticket to her chest and sighed.  "Yeah," she said.  "We're gonna be just fine."

Chloe couldn't explain it, she didn't have anything to back it up, but right in that moment on the quiet sunlit road to Santa Rosa, she believed her.  


End file.
